The Blackout
by TheEternalWinry
Summary: This is a story about what happens when Ed and Winry are left alone during a blackout after Ed has a weird dream... read to find out!


Strange things can happen during power outages. A murder by the supernatural, psychotic hallucinations, chainsaw massacres, etc, etc. But for me, Winry Rockbell, none of those things even came close to what happened during the worst storm of the year.

It started out a beautiful day. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the sky was perfectly blue. Everything was right with the world.

Ed and Al had come back late last night for Ed's automail repairs. For once, Ed hadn't broken his arm in a fight. Some idiot had crushed his arm in a metal factory. Ed had been vague; something about a metal cruncher and a confused factory worker. Whoever that person was had better pray I never find him. I will rip out his innards with a piano wire and a hook. I gave Ed some prosthetics to wear and went to bed, ignoring his protests. At two in the morning, it's best not to argue with me.

Now I hummed to the empty kitchen as I made coffee. Granny and Al had gone shopping and wouldn't be back until later this afternoon. So I had all day to work on Ed's arm. I smiled as I thought of the extra fees I could pile on for this: Rush order, room and board….

Ed wandered in after a few minutes in his boxers. His hair was falling in his face. He was groping around with his left hand; I danced out of his way. The hand was blindly groping and would touch anything, no matter how inappropriate. I slid a mug of coffee into his hand from across the counter.

The hand seemed satisfied with the mug. Ed sipped his coffee and slowly came aware. Sometimes I worry that he'll wander into a missile testing site while half asleep and get blown to smithereens, looking for coffee.

"Good morning, Winry." Ed stretched. "How'd you sleep?"

I answered, "Fine, and you?" and discreetly sniffed the coffee pot. Did I put something in that would make Edward Elric be polite? Or maybe that cruncher got his head along with his arm.

"Like a dead rat." He yawned. "I had a weird dream last night. You and I were kissing. It was so bizarre."

"You think it's weird to be kissing me?" My tone was deadly icily calm.

Ed didn't catch it. "Well, I guess so. I mean, we don't get along well enough to ever kiss. You're always so violent."

"So it's my fault we don't get along? You're always the one saying something hurtful. You're the one always being a jerk."

"I'm a jerk? I don't ignore your pleas for help when you come to me at 2 AM."

"One, I was exhausted. Two, that never has nor ever will happen. And three, they weren't 'pleas'. You ordered me to get to work as you flopped on the couch."

"I did not!" Ed squeaked indignantly.

"You did too, you little pest. You show up at two in the morning and expect me to fix you, and now you insult me by saying I'm too weird to kiss! The other guy was quite pleased to kiss me—"

"Other guy?" Ed repeated. "You mean someone's kissed you? Who? Tell me."

"It's none of your business, Ed." My voice was ice cold. "Jealousy is unbecoming." I turned my back.

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous? I feel sorry for the poor guy who had to kiss you!"

I stiffened. Behind me, I heard him gulp. I spun sharply, to a gasp of fear from Ed. I stormed past him, seeing him brace for the worst. Apparently, he decided he was going to live, so he let out his breath in a relieved sigh.

I grabbed my wrench off the table and flung it at him. It hit him square in the back of the head, sending him flying into the sink.

I smiled tightly at my aim and stomped upstairs. I threw myself onto my bed and tried not to cry. I failed, just a little. Okay, a lot.

Once Ed regained consciousness and stopped the internal bleeding, he came upstairs. "Winry?" He knocked on my door. "I'm—I'm sorry I said that. I'm sure he's a lucky guy, whoever he is. And I—"

He continued to ramble on, but I didn't say anything. I was crying too hard.

Finally, he stopped talking. He was silent for a moment, then he said, "Winry? You aren't—you aren't crying, are you?" He knocked again. "I'm coming in."

My door swung open, the hinges squeaking. "Winry?" Ed called cautiously. Then he saw me. "Oh, Winry." He sat on my bed, laying his hand on my back.

I didn't move. Little shocks of electricity were running through me, seeming to center under his palm.

"I'm sorry, Winry. I didn't mean to make you cry. You know that, don't you, Winry?" He shook me gently. "Winry? Winry. Winry! Come on, Winry, this isn't funny." The room darkened; looks like a storm was rolling in. And it was already six 'o clock. Had I been crying that long?

Ed was really shaking me now, his voice frightened. "Winry, please!" As if to make his point, thunder cracked, shaking the foundation of the house.

I screamed, grabbing the nearest thing and pressing it to my face. When my mind cleared, I realized it was Ed. My nose was buried in the collar of his shirt. He was holding me gently, lightly, afraid of scaring me. "You okay?"

I nodded mutely. I sat up, wiping my face with the back of my hand. He smelled like something woodsy. It smelled good.

Just then, lightning flashed, lighting the dark bedroom. The hum of the refrigerator downstairs died, so I knew the power was out.

We looked at each other. "Power outage," we said simultaneously. I smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back.

I sighed. "Come on, Ed. We have work to do."

I grabbed my toolkit and a candle off the bureau. He stripped off his shirt and held perfectly still. In the dim candlelight, his chest glowed with golden light. I realized I was staring. "Come over here, Winry." Had his voice always been so deep?

I sat down on a chair next to the bed and started working, muttering the parts I was connecting under my breath.

"You never did tell me the end, you know," I said.

"What?" Ed murmured, coming out of some daydream.

"Of your dream. How'd it end?'

"Oh. That." He frowned, his brow furrowing. "Oh. It was by candlelight, and you were saying something, and I just leaned in and kissed you. And then you started kissing me back. No, wait," he paused. "The candle. The candle blew out by a gust of wind, and then you said something, and then we kissed. And then coffee smell woke me up."

"I see."

Just then, as if some above force was mocking me, the wind blew open my window and gusted out the candle. We both jumped.

I got up and shut the window. "I am NOT going down those stairs in the dark," I muttered, feeling my way back to the chair.

"I don't blame you."

I heaved a sigh. "Guess I can't work anymore."

"Mm." It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, I said, "Ed…"

"Winry." His hand closed around the neck of my shirt. "Come here." He pulled me down on top of him.

"What—" I started.

"Shh," he hushed, putting one finger to my lips. The tingles started again.

"I'm thinking."

My breathing quickened. "About what?" I whispered.

"About this." And he kissed me.

Fire boiled under my lips. Common, rational sense told me to back away, but I couldn't bring myself to pull away. So I kissed him back.

His arm came across my back, holding me closer and preventing any possible escape. I felt a thrill of sweet surrender as his lips explored my face, from my lips to my forehead to my ear to my cheek and back to my lips with a fierce desperation, like a drowning man searching for oxygen.

I wanted to keep going, to sink even farther into him, but I couldn't. This had to stop before we did something we'd both regret. I pulled away. "Ed, you know—"

"I wanted to try it. Kissing you."

"And?" I demanded skeptically.

He grinned. "I had good reason to be jealous."

I blushed. "No, you didn't. That was my first kiss."

"Oh." The single word echoed around the room.

I'd never find out what else he was going to say, because just then the front door slammed, making us both jump.

"Winry? Edward?" Gran called.

"Coming," we called in unison, laughing under our breath. "They can never know," we whispered in unison again.

Everything went back to normal after that. Ed left two days later, completely repaired. The power came back on five minutes later. Go freaking figure.

Gran and Al never found out about that kiss. Even today, standing at the alter, Edward and I share a secret smile as we remember our first kiss. The priest places my hand in his and tells Ed he may now kiss his bride.

"Gladly," Ed says, taking me in his arms. "Do you remember?" he whispers in my ear.

"As if I could ever forget," I murmur back, looking up at him with my eyes shining.

"Then come here, Mrs. Elric."

And he kisses me just like he did that stormy day so long ago, arms tight, and lips on fire.

And I throw my arms around his neck, fusing our bodies into one.

And as the crowd cheers and bells ring and rose petals fall around us, Ed pulls away and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, whispering, "Mrs. Elric," as he carries me into the carriage that will take us back to my house for the reception.

Neither of us knowing that six months from now, a certain test will come back positive. And that in our hotel tonight, there will be a power surge and our hotel room will go black, just like before.

And the power will come back on, neither of us noticing.

Now Ed is holding me close, muttering about skipping the reception altogether and just going on our honeymoon. I smack his arm and say no way.

And as we drive off into the sunset, unsure of where we'll be going next, I'm completely sure of one thing.

We're going together.

And my wrench is safely tucked inside my suitcase. Just in case.


End file.
